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This week – Wednesday, March 6 – saw the EU’s Digital Markets Act come into force. As The Verge reminds us, the law is intended to give users more choice and control by forcing technology’s six biggest “gatekeepers” to embrace interoperability and avoid preferencing their own offerings across 22 specified services. The six: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft. Alphabet’s covered list is the longest: advertising, app store, search engine, maps, and shopping, plus Android, Chrome, and YouTube. For Apple, it’s the app store, operating system, and web browser. Meta’s list includes Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, plus Messenger, Ads, and Facebook Marketplace. Amazon: third-party marketplace and advertising business. Microsoft: Windows and internal features. ByteDance just has TikTok.
The point is to enable greater competition by making it easier for us to pick a different web browser, uninstall unwanted features (like Cortana), or refuse the collection and use of data to target us with personalized ads. Some companies are haggling. Meta, for example, is trying to get Messenger and Marketplace off the list, while Apple has managed to get iMessage removed from the list. More notably, though, the changes Apple is making to support third-party app stores have been widely cricitized as undermining any hope of success for independents.
Americans visiting Europe are routinely astonished at the number of cookie consent banners that pop up as they browse the web. Comments on Mastodon this week have reminded that this was their churlish choice to implement the 2009 Cookie Directive and 2018 General Data Protection Regulation in user-hostile ways. It remains to be seen how grown-up the technology companies will be in this new round of legal constraints. Punishing users won’t get the EU law changed.
The last couple of weeks have seen a few significant outages among Internet services. Two weeks ago, AT&T’s wireless service went down for many hours across the US after a failed software update. On Tuesday, while millions of Americans were voting in the presidential primaries, it was Meta’s turn, when a “technical issue” took out both Facebook and Instagram (and with the latter, Threads) for a couple of hours. Concurrently but separately, users of Ad Manager had trouble logging in at Google, and users of Microsoft Teams and exTwitter also reported some problems. Ironically, Meta’s outage could have been fixed faster if the engineers trying to fix it hadn’t had trouble gaining remote access to the servers they needed to fix (and couldn’t gain access to the physical building because their passes didn’t work either).
Outages like these should serve as reminders not to put all your login eggs in one virtual container. If you use Facebook to log into other sites, besides the visibility you’re giving Meta into your activities elsewhere, those sites will be inaccessible any time Facebook goes down. In the case of AT&T, one reason this outage was so disturbing – the FTC is formally investigating it – is that the company has applied to get rid of its landlines in California. While lots of people no longer have landlines, they’re important in rural areas where cell service can be spotty, some services such as home alarm systems and other equipment depend on them, and they function in emergencies when electric power fails.
But they should also remind that the infrastructure we’re deprecating in favor of “modern” Internet stuff was more robust than the new systems we’re increasingly relying on. A home with smart devices that cannot function without an uninterrupted Internet connection is far more fragile and has more points of failure than one without them, just as you can read a paper map when your phone is dead. At The Verge, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy tests a bunch of smart kitchen appliances including a faucet you can operate via Alexa or Google voice assistants. As in digital microwave ovens, telling the faucet the exact temperature and flow rate you want…seems unnecessarily detailed. “Connect with your water like never before,” the faucet manufacturer’s website says. Given the direction of travel of many companies today, I don’t want new points of failure between me and water.
It has – already! – been three years since Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code led to Facebook and Google signing three-year deals that have primarily benefited Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, owner of most of Australia’s press. A week ago, Meta announced it will not renew the agreement. At The Conversation, Rod Sims, who chaired the commission that formulated the law, argues it’s time to force Meta into the arbitration the code created. At ABC Science, however, James Purtill counters that the often “toxic” relationship between Facebook and news publishers means that forcing the issue won’t solve the core problem of how to pay for news, since advertising has found elsewheres it would rather be. (Separately, in Europe, 32 media organizations covering 17 countries have filed a €2.1 billion lawsuit against Google, matching a similar one filed last year in the UK, alleging that the company abused its dominant position to deprive them of advertising revenue.)
Purtill predicts, I think correctly, that attempting to force Meta to pay up will instead bring Facebook to ban news, as in Canada, following the passage of a similar law. Facebook needed news once; it doesn’t now. But societies do. Suddenly, I’m glad to pay the BBC’s license fee.
Illustrations: Red deer (via Wikimedia.)
Wendy M. Grossman is the 2013 winner of the Enigma Award. Her Web site has an extensive archive of her books, articles, and music, and an archive of earlier columns in this series. She is a contributing editor for the Plutopia News Network podcast. Follow on Mastodon


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CHINESE-POLISH LAUNCHES MULTIPURPOSE SHIP
Chinese-Polish Joint Stock Shipping Co., a joint venture of China Ocean Shipping Co., has launched a 30,000-ton multipurpose vessel, the “Orken.”
The ship, launched at the Shanghai shipyard, can carry cargo in three layers. It has a heavy lift capacity of 640 tons, as well as the capacity to carry more than 1,900 containers, including reefers.
The vessel will be deployed in Chinese-Polish Joint Stock Shipping’s Europe/Asia service.

domain: news


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The Police Central e-crime Unit (PCeU) has announced two further charges in its ongoing investigations into the cyber attacks conducted by hacking groups Lulzsec and Anonymous. According to the PCeU,...
Respawn Entertainment comes up with cunning plan to deal with cheats
Facebook denies being a monopoly, Amazon denies unfairly competing with Marketplace merchants, and Google denies being evil
Amazon accused of abusing its position as both retailer and retail platform
Security flaws identified by Eclypsium have since been mitigated by the manufacturers


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Louis de Poortere buys back Colourhouse
June 17, 2002,
Two years after parting ways, area and accent rug importer Louis de Poortere (LDP) has repurchased wool runner and carpet supplier and distributor Colourhouse to help the latter restructure its business.
Colourhouse recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. But coming to its rescue, LDP repurchased the company — "taking us under its wing again," Sara Grunewald, office manager, Colourhouse, told HTT. "I think this is a very good thing for both companies to be back together again. We complement each other, and we'll be very successful working together."
Grunewald said she expects that under the new ownership, Colourhouse will be out of Chapter 11 protection "within weeks" soon after it is set up, again, as a division of LDP — but one that is operated independently.
"Louis de Poortere will own us, but we will be completely independent of it," Grunewald explained.
Grunewald added that under the acquisition no changes in staffing will be made, nor will any restructuring take place.
"Everything is staying exactly the same," she said.
Colourhouse is a supplier of 100 percent wool runners and carpets from Belgium and also some nylon carpets made domestically.
Related Content By Author
The Countdown to the ICON Honors Continues featuring Christophe Pourny


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"Network software maker Novell today announced plans to
fully embrace Linux."
"Having previously dabbled with the "open source" software
movement, Novell said it plans to make versions of its networking
software available for Linux users and launched a version of its
directory services for the growing operating system."
"Novell said it currently is shipping a version of its NDS
eDirectory software for Linux. Directory software essentially
serves as a central "phone book" for network-based computing assets
and information about computers and users, software and network
"But Novell executives said the directory will be just the tip
of the iceberg, with the company's related software also moving to
Linux through this year and next. That means associated software
for network caching and PC and server management will be available
for Linux, among other products."
Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which QuinStreet receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. QuinStreet does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.


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iPad 3 will have a ‘retina display’
Apple testing a smaller screen version of the iPad 3
The intensely rumored new tablet of now the world’s richest tech public company will be announced on Wednesday, March 7, according to “sources who have been reliable in the past”.
An Apple blog says it is confirmed that the iPad 3 will have a quad-core processor, but it is not certain whether the new device will have LTE compatibility.
“People familiar with the matter”, as it is cited on the web, said Apple was preparing an LTE version for the Verizon and AT&T networks in the US.
The consumer electronics company is also reportedly testing a version of the iPad 3 that has a smaller screen than the current model.
Rumors from a range of sources, also hint that the iPad 3 will have a ‘retina display’ – an improved screen resolution delivering 2048 x 1536 pixels.
Meanwhile, Apple Inc.’s shares passed $500 for the first time ever Monday morning, the latest milestone in the stock’s meteoric rise.
The company’s value has surged in recent years, at times overtaking even Exxon Mobil Corp. as the world’s most valuable company. Fast sales of smartphones, tablets and computers have fueled better-than-expected earnings growth and allowed the company to amass about $100 billion in cash.
Apple’s shares recently traded 1.4% higher at $500.20. Investors continue to speculate over how much higher the stock could go. The company is reported to have its eyes on the TV market, along the iPad 3 and the iPhone 5.
About seven months ago, Apple shares hit $400 for the first time. The stock had taken nine months to go from $300 to that level. The company’s value had another psychologically significant moment last month, when the company’s market capitalization topped $400 billion.


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On Thursday, ConsenSys, a prominent Ethereum software developer (ETH) announced the launch of ConsenSys Rollups business software. The service, designed on the basis of zero knowledge (ZK) testing, is intended to protect specific transaction elements, such as account balances, sender and recipient wallet addresses, and transaction amounts to ensure the privacy of each user.
Zero-knowledge tests allow the validation of encrypted confidential information, such as personal data, by nodes without revealing the underlying data. These cryptographic techniques have gained enormous popularity in recent years, as users fear that their crypto transactions are at risk of being tracked by forensic blockchain firms like Chainalysis.. The nature of public ledger blockchains has made all transactions available for anyone to view from their inception, making their underlying tokens less private than physical cash transactions, in certain ways.
The Rollups feature could support privacy-enabled CBDCs, decentralized exchanges, micropayments, and taxes. “ConsenSys Rollups enable much greater scalability, plus strong privacy protections to improve solutions for existing use cases and enable new use cases. This innovative solution will help accelerate the construction of the future of finance, “said Madeline Murray, global protocol engineering leader at ConsenSys. The Mastercards engineering team helped in part to design the solution.
Raj Dhamodharan, Executive Vice President of Digital Assets and Blockchain Products and Partnerships at Mastercard, added:
We’re in the early stages, but we’re starting to see efficiencies in the way private chain product builds and permits use open source technologies. Our work with partners like ConsenSys will continue to advance in this space.
Mastercard has taken a slow but steady approach to crypto adoption. In an interview with Cointelegraph Editor-in-Chief Kristina Cornèr the day before, Mastercard’s Executive Vice President of Market Development Liza Oakes said the company is “looking at CBDCs, stablecoins and how to support their developments.”
Very excited to announce the launch of @ConsenSys Rollups in partnership with @Mastercard to provide enterprise-grade scalability + address the key challenge of scalable applications on the @ConsenSysQuorum tech-stackhttps://t.co/NE6kuDBYW4
– ConsenSys (@ConsenSys) December 16, 2021
Very excited to announce the launch of ConsenSys Rollups in partnership with Mastercard to provide enterprise-level scalability and address the key challenge of scalable applications in @ConsenSysQuorum technology.
We want to give thanks to the writer of this post for this remarkable web content
ConsenSys Launches Rollups for Private Transactions on the Ethereum Blockchain with Mastercard Support


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Remember when YouTube told us there wouldn’t be a monthly payment option for NFL Sunday Ticket? Well, plans change.
As spotted by The Streamable, a YouTube help page notes that users in most U.S. states will be able to pay for NFL Sunday Ticket in four monthly installments rather than all up front.
That’s welcome news to those of us leery of forking over for NFL Sunday Ticket in one big chunk, all in advance. Discounts aside, NFL Sunday Ticket costs $349 a season for YouTube TV subscribers, or a whopping $449 a season via YouTube Primetime Channels. (YouTube is currently offering $50 off NFL Sunday Ticket prices until September 19).
For example, if you sign up for NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube Primetime Channels, your four monthly payments would be $99.75 each, with the total price taking into account the current $50-off promotion.
And in case you’re wondering, yes: The NFL Sunday Ticket monthly payment option is available both for YouTube TV users as well as those who get the Ticket through YouTube Primetime Channels.
Naturally, there’s some fine print to be aware of when it comes to paying for NFL Sunday Ticket in monthly installments.
First of all, while most states will be able to pay monthly for Sunday Ticket, there are about a half-dozen exceptions, including some big ones.
Here are the states where you cannot opt for NFL Sunday Ticket monthly installments:
- New Jersey
- New York
In those seven states (I’m in New York, sniff), you’ll need to pay for NFL Sunday Ticket in one lump sum, with the amount due at the time of purchase. (The reason, YouTube says, is “to ensure our compliance with local requirements.”)
Also, if you were thinking you could sign up for, say, just a month of Sunday Ticket and then cancel, think again.
The YouTube help page has this to say when it comes to going with the NFL Sunday Ticket monthly installment option:
If you purchase NFL Sunday Ticket through a monthly payment plan, your purchase is made once your first payment has been charged and you won’t be able to cancel your membership for the season you purchased. You will be automatically charged on a monthly basis for all remaining payments due for that season.
In other words, the NFL Sunday Ticket monthly installment option exists just to spread out the pain, not to allow viewers to dip in for a month or two and then bail.
Back in April, a YouTube TV rep posted on Reddit that while monthly installment options for NFL Sunday Ticket weren’t available at the time, the streamer was “looking into more payment formats to use in the future.”
It’s good to see YouTube make good on its promise by rolling out monthly payments for NFL Sunday Ticket, but what about a little more innovation?
Personally, I’d love the option to pay just for a single month of Sunday Ticket–or, better yet, how about paying a reduced fee for a single team? Or maybe just a weekend?
Call it a Hail Mary pass, but hey, a football fan can dream.


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VeriFone Systems Inc.’s move to buy the point-of-sale terminal business of card maker Gemalto NV could be a good fit for the terminal maker, especially if its quest to buy rival Hypercom Corp. fails, analysts say.
San Jose, Calif.-based VeriFone on Oct. 20 announced it is in exclusive talks to buy Gemalto’s terminal business. The companies also have formed a strategic partnership that includes a deal to work together on chip card products and services (see story).
VeriFone’s acquisition of Gemalto’s terminal business is “substantially finalized,” but the deal is subject to French laws that require approval from a works council, which represents workers, a VeriFone spokesperson says. The deal could take 30 to 90 days, or longer, he says, depending on the alacrity of the works council.
Gemalto’s terminal business would be a “consolation prize” if VeriFone fails in its attempt to buy Hypercom, says George Sutton, an analyst at Minneapolis-based Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC. He estimates Gemalto shipped 470,000 POS terminals in 2009, mostly to Africa, the Middle East and France, and generated approximately $80 million in terminal revenue.
The Gemalto deal also may serve another purpose, Sutton says.
“It’s more of a negotiation tactic on the part of VeriFone than anything else,” Sutton tells PaymentsSource. “It may accelerate the process of bringing VeriFone and Hypercom together.”
Indeed, analyst Gil B. Luria from Los Angeles-based Wedbush Securities sees potentially good news for VeriFone if the Gemalto deal is consummated.
“A possible acquisition of Gemalto’s terminal business would represent a better deal for VeriFone as compared to Hypercom, as it would expand VeriFone’s scale and reach with far less complexity,” Luria writes in a research note. “However, we do not believe that this deal would necessarily replace a Hypercom bid. It would only make it less likely.”
Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Hypercom last week rebuffed VeriFone’s latest offer and had asked for no further negotiations until after Nov. 2, when Hypercom releases its next quarterly earnings (see story).
The Gemalto deal does not alter the company’s interest in Hypercom, VeriFone says.
And with no other apparent Hypercom bidders, VeriFone may be enticed to stick with its offer of $5.25 per share of Hypercom stock, Luria says. Lack of competition also may “drag out” VeriFone’s quest for Hypercom, he notes.
VeriFone and Gemalto will “pool their expertise to facilitate the adoption of EMV worldwide, particularly in the United States,” Paul Beverly, president of Gemalto North America, tells PaymentsSource.
“Obviously the United States is virgin territory for EMV, but we do believe that adoption is inevitable, although it’s unclear as to the form–contact, contactless or mobile–or the timeline,” the VeriFone spokesperson says. “Elsewhere, EMV is moving ahead, although the pace of adoption varies from region to region and country to country.”
Meantime, Gemalto will supply VeriFone with machine-to-machine wireless communication technology used to remotely monitor and deliver commands to devices, such as when to apply software updates, VeriFone says.
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Kim Kardashian launched her latest collection, the Kimoji Heart Fragrances on February 1st. It was all over different social media platforms of different celebrities opening their Kimoji Fragrance package.
Three different scents were launched in this collection; “BFF”, “BAE”, and “RIDE OR DIE”. Not only were they adorable packaged, but they each have unique, sweet scents.
As described by the KKW Fragrance website, BFF has a “delicious fragrant offering playful notes of wild berries and crisp star apple.” BAE has a “sparkling opening of juicy mandarin and mouth-watery kiwi” scent. And RIDE OR DIE has a “delectable opening featuring luscious blackberry and juicy plum” type of scent.
Each fragrance was being sold for $30, but they are currently sold out. According to Glamour, Kim Kardashian’s Kimoji perfumes made $10 million in four days from the launched date.
This candy-heart styled collection is surely a nice addition to the Valentine’s Day month. And as said by Kim Kardashian, “I’m gonna send one to my lovers, my haters, to everyone I can think of, because it’s Valentine’s Day after all.”


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Wisconsin home sales up 11.4% through first half of 2013
Wisconsin home sales are 11.4 percent ahead of last year’s pace through the first half of 2013, and prices are up 7.7 percent, according to the Wisconsin Realtors Association.
The median sale price statewide was $140,000 through the June, up $10,000. The number of home sales through June, 33,065, is 3,395 higher than the first half of 2012.
The association hailed the data as good news, coupled with the encouraging 37.2 percent drop in foreclosures through the first half of 2013.
Waukesha and Ozaukee counties had the highest median sale prices by far, tallying $230,000 and $220,000, respectively, through June. Dane County’s $208,643 price ranked third.
Sean Ryan reports on real estate, construction and public transit in southeast Wisconsin
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NEW YORK Global Aluminum (USA) Inc.s acquisition of Aluminum Shapes LLC and Signature Aluminum Canada Inc. will give the operations access to increased capital and liquidity for long-term investment, a company executive told AMM.
Newly formed Global Aluminum, a privately held company based in Walnut, Calif., originally intended to build its own casting operation but decided instead to buy Delair, N.J.-based Aluminum Shapes and Pickering, Ontario-based Signature Aluminum, said Ted Riddle, chief executive officer of the two acquired companies.
"Instead of building, theyre using their platform as this company," said Riddle, who will remain chief executive officer of the new company. "Theyre getting a company that has everything they need to be successful but without the capital. We expect that Global will significantly invest into the business both liquidity and capital."
"Our acquisition ... marks a significant first step in building a leading manufacturer of aluminum billet and custom aluminum extrusions to service the North American market," Global Aluminum chief executive officer Johnson Shao said in a statement.
Global Aluminums investment in the two operations over the coming years will be determined by a study slated for completion in February, but it said it plans to invest in new extrusion presses and billet casting equipment for high-volume production.
Aluminum Shapes casting house likely will be modernized as well, Riddle said. "The plan is to significantly grow the business. (There is) no plan to reduce."
The acquisition comes as the construction industry appears to be picking up. "The building infrastructure market has pent-up demand that will get better over the coming years," Riddle said.
Global Aluminum declined to disclose the cost of the acquisition.


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St Austell brewery has released its homage to the West Coast American pale ale, with Eureka APA launched nationally and a keg launch following in January 2017.
Created by brewing director Roger Ryman, Eureka is a single-hopped APA crafted in the West Coast USA style that inspired a brewing generation. Using Maris Otter barley blended with crystal rye malt to create a flash of amber, alongside a little flaked maize, California ale yeast was used in the fermentation.
With Eureka set to hit the bar in time for Christmas, Roger Ryman comments: “Eureka hops pack a real taste punch and we really wanted to create something that did them justice. We’ve had such an amazing and positive response to Eureka since we first brewed it on the Small Batch so it made total sense to launch it as a core brand allowing it to reach a wider audience.”
Eureka APA comes in at a traditional 4.9% ABV.
For more information visit www.staustellbrewery.co.uk and go to the St Austell Brewery online shop now to get your orders in early.
19 December 2016 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, editorial assistant


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Misys application software and services company has selected IBM software to help power its “BankFusion” platform and help banks develop new processes or adapt existing processes more rapidly to cater more closely to the demands of customers. BankFusion clients can benefit from faster implementation of core banking projects and more flexibility in their operations. With this, Misys is incorporating IBM business analytics, information management and application server software, including Business Process Server, into its BankFusion platform.
Indian banks and M-commerce solution providers have designed a
“Mobile Wallet” solution to provide consumers with enhanced security
when conducting mobile phone transactions. This solution has been
developed as an alternative to the security risks posed with SMS
transaction services with a JAVA based downloadable application.
This application can be used on a GPRS enabled phone that contains
the customer’s account information and allows for payment or
transaction initiation only through PIN verification. The “Mobile Wallet”
is projected to be a popular commodity in the coming months given that
there is currently 33 million GPRS-enabled mobile phones across India,
nearly 3 times as many Internet users.
ICICI Bank and Megamart have teamed to introduce a co-branded “VISA Gold” credit card. The new card earns six reward points for every Rs 200 spent at any Megamart clothing outlet. Points can be redeemed for Megamart vouchers. New cardholders receive a bonus gift voucher of Rs 200 upon making their first purchase. Other card benefits include 90-days free financing on purchases above Rs 1500, plus free
alteration of garments and access to special promotions. Megamart has 54 outlets in 16 cities across the country.
Clickandbuy, a payment system that supports both Internet retail sites and
retail customers, has announced it will receive funding from Intel Capital.
Intel Capital’s investment in Clickandbuy will support the companies’ plans
for global expansion and potential to reach over 100 million new customers.
3i, another investor, has funded Clickandbuy with 20million Euro.
More than 7,000 providers across Europe and in the United States
currently use ClickandBuy to process payments online and
more than 7 million end users pay for goods purchased on the Internet using
ABN AMRO and Jumbo Electronics have teamed to launch a co-branded MasterCard. The new card offers five reward points for every Dirham spent on the card and, if total purchases exceed AED 1500 over a 3-month period, cardholders will earn enough points to off-set the annual fee. The new “ABN AMRO Jumbo MasterCard” also offers the option of buying high-value products in fixed installments at preferential interest rates. Jumbo has 31 branches across the UAE. ABN AMRO launched its first chip-based credit card in 2000 followed by its “Smart
Traveler Card” for premium frequent travelers. The bank also launched the UAE’s first credit card designed exclusively for women – the “Al Ameera Card.”
Value Communications Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rediff.com India Limited, and a leading provider of long distance calling services, announced the launch of VC DIRECT, its direct long distance service which now allows consumers to call overseas without the hassles of a phone card.
The launch event was attended by leading dignitaries, community leaders, and the South Asian media.
The long distance market to South Asia is divided into two categories: prepaid phone cards and direct-dial carriers. Value Communications Corporation promises to beat the prices offered by direct-dial carriers with an extremely aggressive pricing plan, while maintaining the simplicity and high quality of direct dialing. Consumers will now be able to dial to over 200 international destinations without the hassle of a calling card or PIN numbers using the newly launched VC DIRECT service.
Commenting on the new service, Arvind J. Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Value Communications Corporation said, “This is a truly innovative product in response to the needs of the South Asian consumer in the United States. It stems from our undying belief that we need to provide our customer significant savings, ease of use and ultimate flexibility in calling. That, to us, is true value.” He further quips, “The South Asian customer is very discerning. They are smart, and always know a good deal when they see one. We need to reach out to them as we have attempted to over the last five years.”
The offer is indeed compelling. There are several plans a customer may choose from depending on their needs. A caller to India, for example, can get connected to any city for just 39.9 cents a minute, all-inclusive, on the national plan, or 29.9 cents to certain specific cities on the city plan. There are no additional charges. On the contrary, direct-dial companies typically charge multiple additional fees and taxes over and above their advertised rates.
Says Singh, “This is a key differentiator between us and our competition – we want consumers to realize the significance of their savings with the VC DIRECT service because they often overlook the additional charges they pay their long distance provider. For example, an advertised rate of 53 cents per minute by AT&T and MCI translates to about 68 cents a minute when you figure in all the additional charges in fine print! Compare that with our offer, and you will see why our customers save as much as 60% over other direct-dial companies.”
With the VC DIRECT(TM) service, the consumer need not even switch their existing carrier. “We can now provide our customers the simplicity of direct dialing without the hassles of switching long distance carriers or remembering and punching in long PIN numbers. The customer simply dials a toll free number followed by their destination number. It’s that easy!” says Sandeep Shrivastava, President and Chief Operating Officer of the company. He adds, “Our customer also has the flexibility to charge their account conveniently through a credit card on our web site (www.valucomonline.com) or through our friendly customer care group using our toll free number, 1-888-VALUCOM.”
As part of the added value, the company also assures users of the freedom to call from multiple phone lines. “Our service allows the customer to take the savings with them to their cell phone or even their work phone. We know more and more, our customer is on the road and uses the cell phone primarily to stay in touch. This is an edge over AT&T, MCI or any other direct-dial carrier, that restricts calls from a home line only,” adds Shrivastava.
Pursuant to their commitment to drive this market, Value Communications Corporation intends to launch the new VC DIRECT(TM) service in South Asian media in the U.S., by way of a hard hitting campaign. The focus of the advertising message is to explain the simplicity of use and comparative savings realized over direct-dial companies like AT&T or MCI. A launch campaign comprising of Print, TV, Radio and Internet has been developed by Value Communications Corporation’s New York based advertising agency 1947 Communications Inc.
About Value Communications Corporation
Founded in 1996, Value Communications Corporation (www.valucomonline.com ) has been a successful player in the international long distance category. The company focuses on Internet-based marketing of international telecom services to Indians and South Asians in the United States. Their initial foray in international calling services came in the form of pre-paid calling cards that provided high quality, and reliable service via virtual PIN numbers. The company has since delivered significant value to their customers through innovative pricing, no frills calling plans, and a breadth of products. Value Communications Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rediff.com India Limited (Nasdaq: REDF), one of India’s leading Internet portals focusing on India and the global Indian community.
Value Communications Corporation is led by Arvind J. Singh, CEO, a graduate of The Anderson School of Management at UCLA and a former executive with Kraft Foods, Inc., and Sandeep Shrivastava, President and COO, a graduate of The Wharton School and a former executive with Ameritech Corporation and General Mills, Inc.
Founded in 1996, Rediff.com India Ltd., (Nasdaq: REDF) is one of the leading Internet, communications and media companies serving over one billion global Indians, both online and offline. Through its online and offline product and service offerings Rediff.com offers interest specific channels, local language editions, sophisticated search capabilities, online shopping, long distance calling cards and Internet based telephony services. It’s news publication, India Abroad, is one of the oldest and largest South Asian weekly newspaper serving the Indian American community in the United States. The company also provides users extensive Internet community offerings all tailored to the interests of Indians worldwide. Rediff.com has offices in New York, Chicago and New Delhi and is headquartered in Mumbai, India.
Fincentric Corporation, a leading global provider
web-enabled financial services software, announced today an agreement with
PricewaterhouseCoopersÂ Management Consulting Services practice in
jointly pursue new business opportunities with financial services clients in
East Asia, including Singapore and Hong Kong.
Under the agreement, FincentricÂs i-Wealthview BankingÂ product becomes a core
retail banking offering at PricewaterhouseCoopersÂ Financial Delivery
Singapore. PricewaterhouseCoopers has allocated a team to this center, where
implementation staff are trained and leading banking software systems can be
demonstrated, developed and integrated.
PricewaterhouseCoopers becomes the first member of FincentricÂs new Certified
Implementation program. This certification gives the end user the assurance
that PricewaterhouseCoopers is fully qualified to implement and service the
Mike Cardiff, chief executive officer and president of Fincentric commented,
ÂWe are excited to work with PricewaterhouseCoopers to bring our extraordinary
enterprise wealth management software to the Asia Pacific market. The
combination of our teams can help financial institutions achieve their
strategic objectives, such as deploying state-of-the-art e-banking
and increasing profitability across all segments of the customer-base.Â
Arvind Mathur, financial services partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers stated,
ÂOur relationship with Fincentric helps affirm our strategic advance into
wealth management, specifically in East Asia, and supports our goal of helping
financial institutions increase profitability, customer acquisition and
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Shark Tank Episode 716
The Shark Tank Episode 716 is taking this week off from releasing a brand new episode this Friday night, January 22, 2016, and instead will re-air Episode 708 from November 6, 2015.
What’s On The Shark Tank in Episode 716?
- The next brand new Shark Tank Show’s press release feature’s a student from Las Vegas, Nevada that achieved a perfect S.A.T. Score and wants to turn his system into a business. 2400 Expert, Shaan Patel.
- Another pitch will be from a husband and wife from Jenison, MI, that’s created the perfect sports bra. Shefit Sports Bra
- Two entrepreneurs from Denver, CO want to sell the Sharks on a high-tech backpack company but plan on keeping their lucrative other backpack company for themselves. Does this ever work on the Shark Tank Show? Co-Alition Smart Back Packs
- A serial entrepreneur and his two business partners from Bixby, OK have invested a staggering amount of money on a cooling appliance for outdoor use. The IcyBreeze Portable Air Conditioner Coolers.
Shark Tank Success Update in Episode 716
Chapul Cricket Bars owner Pat Crowley from Salt Lake City, Utah made a deal with Mark Cuban in his crunchy cricket energy bars in Season 5. How much money has the Chapul Cricket Bars made since becoming a Shark Tank product?


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The Trump administration had argued the president has wide-ranging authority over national security matters.Politicsread more
Sen. Bernie Sanders will announce a plan Monday to forgive the country's $1.6 trillion outstanding student loan tab, intensifying the higher education policy debate in the...Personal Financeread more
Nineteen billionaires released a bipartisan letter on Monday asking the 2020 presidential candidates to support a tax on the American families with the largest fortunes.Economyread more
The major indexes have stretched to all-time highs and are riding one of their best first halves in decades.Trading Nationread more
Six women are running for president. Five of them are career politicians. Then there's Oprah-approved self-help guru Marianne Williamson.2020 Electionsread more
As candidates from Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders to John Delaney jockey for position in the 2020 Democratic primary, business issues will come up in the first debates.2020 Electionsread more
McDonald's said Monday that it gained market share in the informal eating out category for the first time in five years, thanks to its nationwide launch of fresh beef.Restaurantsread more
The brokerage says that the globe is "one step away" from recession as the world's two largest economies head to the G-20 summit.Marketsread more
President Trump issues an executive order that would pressure insurers, doctors and other providers to disclose more information about health-care prices.Health and Scienceread more
J.P. Morgan analyst Stephen Tusa is sticking to his guns when it comes to General ElectricInvestingread more
The planet of Batuu is now open to all Disneyland guests, but that doesn't mean visiting this galaxy far, far away is going to be easy.Entertainmentread more
The Food and Drug Administration's tobacco and nicotine regulation announcement clobbered tobacco stocks on Friday. Despite the initial beating, the plan might not crucify tobacco stocks and could actually benefit two companies, Cowen said in a note to investors Tuesday.
The FDA will start the process of seeking to lower nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels, reviewing flavors — including menthol — in tobacco products, and considering a delay in implementing new rules for reduced-risk products like e-cigarettes.
Philip Morris International, which sells Marlboro and other brands outside the U.S., and Turning Point Brands, which sells Zig Zag rolling papers, could gain from the FDA's plan, Cowen said. Neither company is at risk from cigarette initiatives, and both companies are positioned for boosts to their e-cigarette products.
The rest of the industry is not as insulated as Philip Morris and Turning Point, but Cowen does not think it is doomed. The firm predicts the plan could have neutral or have a negative impact on companies at first, but the long-term effects would be mostly mixed.
"Ultimately ... we think that the pace of regulatory change will be slow, but that there's potential for a change in consumer perception that could mirror what we saw in the U.S. in the 1950's and 1960's," Cowen wrote.
In the long-run, Altria and British American Tobacco's menthol products put the companies at risk, Cowen wrote, but growth in other areas could offset that. Imperial Brands could be at a competitive disadvantage because it has limited exposure to vapor and no heat-not-burn cigarettes, Cowen said. Japan Tobacco could benefit from a U.S. market that is friendlier to reduced-risk smoking products, Cowen wrote, but its PloomTech tobacco vaporizer is still in its early stages.
Cowen does not expect regulatory changes to put tobacco company earnings at risk until at least 2019. The bigger risk, Cowen wrote, is media coverage, company messaging and public perception.
"That is the single biggest risk/opportunity today: how is this messaged and how will consumers respond?" Cowen wrote. "While the companies are limited in the claims that they can make, they are capable of leaning in on (reduced-risk products) to drive a change in consumer perception and behavior."
The cigarette market underwent disruption even before the infamous 1964 Surgeon General's warning because the media started questioning how healthy cigarettes were, Cowen said. Major cigarette brands lost market share in the 1950s to smaller brands thanks to the popularity of filtered cigarettes, according to Cowen's report.
One such product, Marlboro, had been gaining momentum in the 1950s. That accelerated upon the infamous 1964 report. Cowen speculates Marlboro's smokeless cousin, iQos, could benefit from a similar disruption that Marlboro enjoyed.
The FDA's plan could create an opening for e-cigarettes, but it could also boost cigarette consumption, Cowen said, citing a 2010 University of Minnesota study.
"Indeed, in assessing the usefulness of reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes, we need to consider the unintended consequences that mildly reducing nicotine levels may lead to higher per capita consumption as smokers look for an offset," Cowen wrote.
The FDA said Friday it will initiate a public dialogue on lowering nicotine levels and it plans to issue guidance describing a new enforcement policy shortly.


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Some of our readers were teased by Google’s new maps update for Android back in May 2013. Today, we can announce that the new Google Maps update for Android 4.0.3 has started to roll out around the globe.
What’s new with Google Maps? If you want to learn a little about how to use the new Google Maps directions, then take a look at the video we embedded below this article. This video quickly shows you what’s new in less than 2 minutes.
If you have an Android phone running v4.0.3 plus, then you should see this Google maps update release onto your device shortly. You should note that the update could take up to a few weeks to reach your device.
When it arrives you’ll notice a new design for Android tablets and phones. The navigation has been enhanced and includes dynamic rerouting, incident reports and live traffic updates.
Some of the updates are more radical and this includes the new way to explore popular locations for shopping, drinking, eating and more.
Has your Android 4.0.3+ phone or tablet received the new Google Maps update yet? If so, what device are you using? You can learn more by searching Google Maps on the Play store.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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On March 19, 2020, the Maryland Department of Agriculture stated that farmers markets in Maryland are an essential business and can remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers markets in the region continue to operate and you should continue to shop them.
For people looking for additional ways to buy local foods, MDFMA has teamed up Future Harvest, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and Delmarva Grown to create a directory of local food resources for direct sales. Here is the interactive map:
Our local food system is resilient and agile. Mid-Atlantic farmers and agricultural producers in Washington D.C., Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia are working hard through this crisis to feed us. It may take a little more work to get it, but spending your food dollars with mid-Atlantic grown food will make the local food system even more robust. Thank you! #ShopSmall #ShopSafe
Are you a farmer or agricultural producer and you’d like to be included in this resource? Fill out this form.


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Lebanon Promotes Product Quality Standards for New Pharmaceutical Industry
[Foreword] On September 19, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) Samin Siddiqui stated in Lebanon that implementation of new industry quality standards will help Lebanese domestic pharmaceutical companies to better compete with their foreign counterparts. In addition to improving the safety and quality of products, the new pharmaceutical production standards will also reduce Lebanese healthcare costs and make domestic pharmaceutical companies more competitive.
On September 19th, World Health Organization (WHO) representative Samin Siddiqui stated in Lebanon that implementation of new industry quality standards will help Lebanese local pharmaceutical companies to better compete with their foreign counterparts.
Additional supervision personnel
Siddiqui said that in addition to improving the safety and quality of products, the new drug production standards will also reduce Lebanese health care costs and make domestic pharmaceutical companies more competitive.
Compared with other countries in the region, such as Jordan and Syria, Lebanon’s indigenously produced drugs have a smaller domestic market share. More than 80% of the country’s medicines need to be imported. This has an adverse effect on Lebanon’s health care expenditures.
About 9 local pharmaceutical companies supply Lebanon with the remaining 20% of medicines. In Lebanon, all pharmaceutical companies conducting business must comply with relevant standards and standards to ensure that pharmaceutical products are always produced and controlled according to international quality standards.
Lebanon’s Minister of Health Ali Hasan Khalil stated that it is necessary to ensure that local drugs are of good quality and price competitive. At the same time, the supervision personnel of the Ministry of Health will be increased to fully prepare for the monitoring of the manufacturers.
Updated GMP Guide
In 2008, the Lebanese Ministry of Health issued a decree formally approving the establishment of a special GMP committee to conduct an assessment of the country's pharmaceutical industry. The main task of the committee is to increase the speed of GMP regulations and ensure that manufacturers comply with this higher quality standard.
The GMP committee consists of experts from the private sector, pharmaceutical scientists from the academic community, the Lebanese Pharmacists Association, the Institute of Pharmaceutical Companies, and senior officials from the Ministry of Health. At the same time, the Committee was surprised to find that the GMP guidelines used in Lebanon were still in 1983.
In 2009, the GMP Committee approved a new directory of guides based on relevant guidelines issued by the WHO to ensure safety and efficacy of medicines.
Speaking on behalf of the organization called "Pharmaceutical Industry Committee," the spokesperson said that pharmaceutical companies should submit their applications to the committee responsible for supervising the implementation of GMP guidelines. The application materials must be sealed and should include all necessary production details for the pharmaceutical company. Only this GMP committee can use these application materials. After reviewing the application materials, the GMP committee will send personnel to visit the pharmaceutical company before further awarding the certificate and further verify their situation.
The application materials include a list of relevant GMPs. The matters involved include organizational responsibilities, personnel information, sources of equipment and raw materials, etc.


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Micromax has just announced that it will be bringing new smartphones under its new sub-brand ‘In’. Micromax founder Rahul Sharma has teased the upcoming series on social media and revealed some information about the device during an interview. Now, a new Micromax smartphone has been spotted on the Geekbench website, which could be the first phone in this new series. The Geekbench listing reveals that the upcoming smartphone might be named as Micromax In 1A. Here’s what you need to know about the new smartphone.
Micromax In 1A visits Geekbench
A new Micromax has been spotted on Geekbench database, which is known as Micromax In 1a. The listing was first spotted by tipster Abhishek Yadav and he says that the phone is already available on Geekbench database. The Geekbench listing reveals that the smartphone will come loaded with an octa-core processor with base frequency 2.30GHz. The tipster claims that the processor will be none other than MediaTek Helio P35 SoC.
🇮🇳 Micromax IN 1A 😍 is The Name Of Upcoming Micromax Device Which is Already Available On Geekbench Database.
Micromax in 1A Specifications.
•Mediatek Helio P35
•4GB Ram https://t.co/OBuih9ZHPr pic.twitter.com/BITxS7QiIe
— Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) October 16, 2020
The Micromax In 1A packs 4GB of RAM and runs on Android 10 operating system. Rahul Sharma has also confirmed that the user interface will be bloatware-free and there will be no ads on the phone as well. Moving on, the phone has scored 903 points in the single-core test and 4326 points in the multi-core test. That said, there is no much information available about the Micromax smartphone at the time of writing. So, stay tuned with us for more details.
Meanwhile, Rahul Sharma has also revealed some key details about the upcoming series in an interview with Technical Guruji. Rahul says that the upcoming brand will focus on power user, especially, gamers. The company will launch its first wave of smartphones in early November. The phones will come with a price range between Rs 7,000 to Rs 15,000 and maybe more. What are your thoughts on the Micromax In 1A? Let us known in the comments!
Thanks for reading till the end of this article. For more such informative and exclusive tech content, like our Facebook page


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retail and social media: taking it up to country road
Australian middle-market clothing and home wares retailer, Country Road has come under fire from an indignant customer via social media due to its startling lack of ethnically diverse models in its catalogue. Just having a quick look through the brand’s webpage it is clear to see that the only models utilised in its campaign are stereotypical Caucasians.
The source of the complaint was Richard Misso, a loyal Country Road customer for over 25 years, who is also of Sri Lankan, Dutch and German descent. In response to the Country Road catalogue, Misso stated that ‘there were no models of ethnic diversity, which makes people like me feel invisible.’
As a result, he took to the company’s Facebook page to voice his complaint. It was estimated in the first thirty minutes of his posting the complaint that the post received over 70 comments, likes and shares. Subsequently, the post was removed by Country Road administration (which they have admitted to doing – this highlights the fraught nature of social media interactions, particularly those between individuals and companies). The post on the Facebook page was following Misso’s two emails to Country Road HQ asking why the brand chose only white models, despite the wide ethnic diversity of its customer base. These two emails went unanswered after two days.
This, however, is only the beginning of the saga between Misso and the Country Road administration. Following the deletion of his comments on their Facebook page, the company contacted Misso directly, denying ethnic discrimination, and requesting Misso’s mobile contact number to take the conversation offline. Misso replied that he would like to keep the conversation online, only to find that the conversation had been deleted.
When contacted by Fairfax Media in relation to the models, Country Road denied ethnic discrimination, saying that they used a wide variety of diverse models in their campaigns, and denied that they had removed Misso’s post, stating instead that it had been caught in the spam filter. However, in a second statement, the company admitted that Misso’s post may have been ‘erroneously deleted’ and that they had apologised. ‘Our policy is not to remove any posts on social media, including negative ones, unless we are required to by law,’ the later statement said.
This latest social media bungle between customers and retailers follows in the recent history of Coles recalling its Dry Fit nappies after a mother’s post about her baby choking on them went viral on Facebook, with over 35,000 people sharing the post. Similarly, an open letter to Target last year protesting the sale of clothes to girls aged seven to fourteen to ‘look like tramps’ attracted over 60,000 likes within twenty-four hours.
The relationship between customers, retailers and social media is clearly a fraught one, with issues of company censorship, customer satisfaction and brand maintenance at issue whenever any of the parties takes to Facebook, Twitter or any other social media webpage. Social media expert Ryan Shelley stated that companies have a responsibility to customers to engage with them on these types of websites:
‘Companies that fail to have an active social media presence appear to lack authenticity and an open channel to their customers…If a person has a complaint or a compliment, they need to know that someone is there to answer their queries. Like any public presence, [social media] is a public forum, so the people that are in charge of that presence need to be briefed very clearly with an understanding of the company’s beliefs and goals in order to communicate those values with customers.’
Customer service is clearly of paramount importance to retailers, and there is a necessity to both balance the complaints being issued towards them in terms of their public perceptions, as well as maintain their customer base. When these types of interactions are taken to social media, this is made to be even more fraught due to the public nature of these interactions.
As for Country Road and its lack of ethnic diversity in its models, it will be interesting to see whether or not Mr. Misso’s complaint and subsequent quasi-censorship will make any difference to the way in which the brand advertises its products. Here’s hoping that at least now many more people have had their attention drawn to the issue, and it aids in creating a more ethnically rounded campaign to not just Country Road, but for other brands paying attention to the social media saga to whom this complaint may also be applicable.


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Motorola Moto G51 5G India launch date tipped. Motorola lately launched the moto g31 in India with a base price of inr12,999 ($100 seventy 5/€100 and fifty-five), and now a brand new rumor claims the group will convey the moto g51 5g to the USA subsequent – on December 10.
The Motorola moto g51 5g the world’s first cellphone with the snapdragon 480+ chip on the helm, and when it debuts in India subsequent Friday, it’ll america of America’s first snapdragon 480 plus-powered cellphone as correctly.
Motorola Moto G51 5G India launch date tipped, anticipated to launch quickly
The moto g51 5g runs android eleven out of the field and comes with as a lot as 8GB ram and as much as 128GB storage onboard, however it’s uncertain what memory configurations it’ll come inside India. The g51 5g constructed round a 6.8″ 120hz fullhd+ liquid crystal show with a punch hole throughout the center for the 13mp selfie shooter (16mp in china).
The rear panel of the cellphone is home to a triple digicam gadget comprising 50mp main, 8mp ultrawide, and 2mp macro items. The g51 5g comes with Dolby atmos support, options an aspect-established fingerprint reader, and packs a 5,000 mah battery charged by means of a USB-c port at as a lot as 10w. We will research additional in regards to the moto g51 5g’s Indian fee and availability subsequent Friday if the rumor appears to be appropriate.


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Formation Z is a side-scrolling shoot ’em up that first made its way to arcades courtesy of Jaleco back in 1984. Now it’s ready to return with the help of publisher City Connection and developer Granzella, which are cooking up a remake for PlayStation 4.
Additional platforms will be revealed at a later date. For now, we can see what’s shakin’ in the Project Formation Z announcement trailer below.
You can also see some gameplay footage starting at around the 59-minute mark here:
Stay tuned for more details as they’re revealed.


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1. The Seventh Consultations between the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) and the Minister of Commerce (MOFCOM) of the People’s Republic of China (7th AEM-MOFCOM Consultations) was held in Singapore on 27 August 2008. The Consultations was co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore, and H.E. Chen Jian, Vice Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.
2. The Ministers discussed global and regional issues particularly those relating to the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between ASEAN and China, including the review of the Trade in Goods Agreement, the negotiations on the ASEAN-China Investment Agreement and other on-going cooperation projects between ASEAN and China.
3. The Ministers noted, according to ASEAN statistics, the tripling of trade value between the ASEAN and China from USD 59.6 billion in 2003 to USD 171.1 billion in 2007. ASEAN-China total trade has been growing at an annual rate of 30 percent from 2003 to 2007. The average growth in exports is 28 percent with imports at 32 percent during the same period. Cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows from China into ASEAN from 2003 to 2007 amounted to USD 3.6 billion.
ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA)
4. The Ministers welcomed the substantive progress made in the negotiations on the ASEAN-China Investment Agreement and underscored the importance of concluding the Agreement by the 12th ASEAN-China Summit in December 2008. The Investment Agreement is one of the three (3) components of the ACFTA as provided under the ASEAN-China Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation. The other two (2) are the Trade in Goods Agreement and the Trade in Services Agreements which were concluded in 2004 and 2006, respectively. The conclusion of negotiations on the Investment Agreement will therefore complete the mandate set forth in the Framework Agreement that was signed in 2003.
5. The Ministers discussed the review of the ASEAN-China Trade in Goods (TIG) agreement and were pleased with the outcome of the FTA from the implementation of the Early Harvest Programme and the TIG Agreement. The Ministers were confident that the ASEAN-China FTA remains a regional trading arrangement of some global significance given the magnitude of trade between the parties, which accounted for 13.7 percent of global trade or almost half of Asia’s total trade in 2007. The review reaffirmed the strong trade ties between the parties and the prospects for enhanced trade flows in the coming years as more tranches of tariff reductions come on-stream.
6. Work on amendments to the Operational Certification Procedures of the rules of origin is on-going with the aim of providing more facilitative market access to the business communities of both ASEAN and China. The Ministers called for the expeditious transition to the next phase of text-based negotiations as technical clarifications have been completed.
7. The Ministers welcomed the exchange of initial offers under the Second Package of Services Commitments and the bilateral negotiations that have been undertaken. Initial offers from the parties are wide-ranging and include offers in the transport, telecommunications, finance, business services and professional services sectors. Parties will also be submitting revised offers in the next phase with the aim of ensuring substantive commitments under the Second Package. Parties remain committed to putting these commitments into effect by way of a Protocol as soon as possible.
8. The ACFTA places high priority on implementing economic cooperation projects between the parties. The Ministers welcomed the workshop on trade facilitation that will be held later this year and a seminar on services regimes of parties that is being planned for 2009. ASEAN and China will be considering more projects that are practical and relevant to further the aims of the ACFTA and to ensure that the benefits of the ACFTA are better disseminated and utilised.
9. The Ministers were pleased to note the progress made in finalising the Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and China on Cooperation on Intellectual Property and the Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and China on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). The Ministers looked forward to the signing of these MOUs at the sidelines of the ASEAN-China Summit in Thailand in December 2008. The Ministers also welcomed the development of a Joint Action Plan on Standards and Conformity Assessment to support the activities under the MOU on TBT.
10. The Ministers exchanged views on China’s proposal to develop the Pan Beibu Gulf (PBG) Rim region and to conduct of a feasibility study on PBG economic cooperation. The Ministers noted that the Inaugural Meeting of the ad-hoc Joint Expert Group (JEG) on PBG was held in Beihai, China on 30 July 2008. The PBG is an open cooperation to speed up the sustainable economic and social development of the region. The Ministers welcomed this initiative and agreed to study the proposal in detail.
11. The Ministers noted that, following the interest from both sides in providing contractors from ASEAN and China the necessary platform to enhance cooperation and networking, there is a proposal for an ASEAN-China Contractors Federation as well as the possibility of holding a Contractors Economic Forum that could be held during 5th ASEAN-China Expo (5th CAEXPO) in Nanning, China in October 2008 or at the sidelines of the 28th ASEAN Contractors Federation Council Meeting scheduled in Jakarta in November/December 2008. The Ministers expressed hope that the relevant associations from both sides will decide on the activities that could best enable improvement of networking and enhancement of business cooperation between the parties.
12. The annual ASEAN-China EXPO will be held in Nanning, China from on 22-25 October 2008. An “ICT Week” to be held in conjunction with the CAEXPO will feature relevant Ministerial discussions, ICT Business Forums and a Wireless Technology Forum. The 5th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) will be held in conjunction with this event. The Summit will showcase the progress of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) with the theme of “Broader Vision, Common Action”. Forums on SME cooperation and investment cooperation will be conducted during the 5th CABIS. The Ministers encouraged the private sector to take advantage of the opportunities presented by CAEXPO to further enhance ASEAN-China trade and investment.
LIST OF DELEGATES
Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brunei Darussalam.
Mr. Pich Rithi, Director General, Directorate General for Domestic Trade Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia.
H.E. Chen Jian, Vice Minister of Commerce, the People’s Republic of China.
Mr. Gusmardi Bustami, Director General of International Trade Cooperation, Ministry of Trade, Indonesia.
Mr. Bounsom Phommavihane, Director General, Foreign Trade Policy Department Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR.
Datuk Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, Deputy Secretary General (Trade), Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia.
Daw Myo Nwe, Director General, Ministry for National Planning and Economic Development, Myanmar
Mr. Efren V. Leano, Executive Director, Board of Investments, the Philippines.
H.E. Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore
Ms. Chutima Bunyapraphasara, Director General, Department of Trade Negotiations, Minister of Commerce, Thailand.
Mr. Bui Huy Son, Deputy Director General, Multilateral Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Viet Nam
H.E. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN


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The government must deliver on its promises to tackle the UK's woefully inefficient housing stock, argues Andrew Warren
Back in 2017 the then Prime Minister Theresa May launched the government's (still extant) Clean Growth Strategy. At that time, Ministers were permitted by advisors to appear on BBC Radio 4's flagship...
Global Briefing: Coronavirus crisis will have 'negligible' impact on emissions without green recovery, study warns
All the green business news from around the world this week
Deal to enable rollout of 100 EV charging hubs hailed as an example of 'private sector green recovery at its most promising'
The tech giant is looking to turn the Just Transition concept into a clean energy investment reality
Some of America's largest retailers have teamed up to help accelerate efforts to curb plastic bag waste


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By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — With gas prices inching closer each week to $4 per gallon, drivers are looking for ways to lessen the pain at the pump.
3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan finds that some consumers may want to look into getting a gas credit card that pays them back. In fact credit card comparison website, Cardhub.com, has just released a timely list of some of the best gas reward credit cards on the market.
As prices at the pump continue to rise, one thing is for certain according to Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of Card Hub, “More and more people are realizing that they need to find ways to save.” Card Hub reports that more and more consumers may be considering getting a gas reward credit card. Papadimitriou says, “We have seen around 30 percent increase on searches for gas related credit cards.”
There are two basic types of gas cards. Gas store cards are tied to a particular gas station, while gas credit cards can be used at any gas station. Papadimitriou says, “Our advice to consumers is if you’re already brand loyal then consider getting the one that is tied to that gas station because most likely you will get a better deal. But if you’re not already brand loyal, then don’t think that you’ll change your habits.”
According to Card Hub, among the best gas rewards cards with no annual fee are:
Blue Cash Everyday from American Express. Card holders will get 2% cash back on gas purchases.
BP Credit Card customers get 10% cash back for BP gas purchases for the first 60 days. After that, they get 5% cash back.
ExxonMobil Mastercard offers a 15-cent rebate for each gallon of ExxonMobil gas.
Don’t forget to look into credit union cards too. For instance the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card offers 5% back on gas purchased at any station. You must have a PenFed membership, which costs $15, to be eligible for this card. But when you factor in what you’re getting back, it may be a good investment.
For more information on the cards mentioned in this report as well as others, click on the links below:
(bp card) http://www.bp.com/
(blue cash) http://www304.americanexpress.com/
(exxonmobil mastercard) http://www.citibank.com/
(costco true earnings) https://www262.americanexpress.com/


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On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs." --San Antonio Express-News
Jeff Bezos this week sold another $3 billion in his Amazon stock, bringing the sales this year along to more than $7 billion.
Amazon stock has soared since mid-March as millions of customers rely on the e-commerce giant amid the pandemic for online shopping, cloud computing, and more. Last week the company posted $88.9 billion in revenue, up 40% from the year-ago quarter, with profits far ahead of Wall Street expectations at $5.2 billion.
Bezos said in 2017 that he was selling $1 billion a year to fund his Blue Origin space venture, but he has been increasing the size and frequency of the stock sales. He sold $2.8 billion worth of Amazon stock a year ago, and around $4 billion earlier this year.
Since 2017 Bezos has now raised more than $11 billion from sales of his Amazon stock. Initially he had said such sales were to finance his space company Blue Origin, but more recently he has indicated he wants to use the bulk of this cash to fight climate change, with portions also devoted services for the homeless and early childhood education.
In fact, it appears that Blue Origin is likely getting only a very small portion of this money, though at several billion this isn’t chicken-feed. At a minimum it likely matches what SpaceX has raised through private investment capital for its Starship/Starlink projects, and more likely exceeds it.
Yet, SpaceX continues to outpace Blue Origin, several times over. If anything, as the cash from Bezos has rolled in Blue Origin’s pace of test flights with New Shepard as well as the development of its BE-4 rocket engine and New Glenn orbital rocket seemed have slowed. Initially New Glenn was going to make its first orbital launch this year. Now they say it will launch next year but we hear little about any development progress. And the company only delivered a test engine of the BE-4 (not flight worthy) to ULA only about a month ago, far later than first promised.
Though the lack of news could simply be Blue Origin’s more secretive way of doing things, compared to SpaceX, I have my doubts. Rockets are big things, and building and testing them is not something easily kept under wraps, especially by private companies. The lack of news from Blue Origin continues to suggest that simply having lots of money does not necessarily guarantee success.
My July fund-raiser for Behind the Black is now over. The support from my readers was unprecedented, making this July campaign the best ever, twice over. What a marvelous way to celebrate the website's tenth anniversary!
Thank you! The number of donations in July, and continuing now at the beginning of August, is too many for me to thank you all personally. Please forgive me by accepting my thank you here, in public, on the website.
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Tesla held its annual shareholder meeting at its factory in Austin, Texas on Thursday. The meeting invited shareholders to attend in person, in addition to over 300,000 viewers who watched the event virtually. The meeting considered 13 proposals, five of which were presented by the board – and one of which included Tesla’s latest plans for a stock split.
The event, which was streamed live on Tesla’s YouTube channel, opened with Tesla Chairman Robyn Denholm noting some of the company’s environmental achievements. Tesla’s Head of Investor Relations, Martin Viecha, spoke second and facilitated the shareholder proposal portion of the event. Finally, Elon Musk came out to review the key highlights and a final Q&A.
The following are a few of the key takeaways from Tesla’s 2022 annual shareholder meeting.
3-to-1 stock split
Regarding the proposals, the investors’ votes closely matched the recommendations of Tesla’s board of directors. The automaker announced preliminary results of the vote, which notably showed that investors approved a 3-to-1 stock split.
The other proposals ranged in topics from increased reporting on child labor practices, water reduction, collective bargaining and company measures to reduce discriminatory practices and improve workplace culture. The shareholders also voted for the re-election of two board members. While the preliminary results were announced at the Cyber Roundup event, Viecha noted that a final tally of shareholder votes will be available within four business days.
Musk boasted about Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta 10.13 update, saying it was almost worthy of the software version “10.69.” Additionally, the FSD beta should become available to anyone who requests it in North America by the end of this year. The system has traveled over 40 million miles.
Production is developing
Musk said Tesla estimates a production capacity of 2 million units by the end of this year. Meanwhile, Tesla produced its 3-millionth. EV within the last few weeks – a far cry from the 3,000 units produced a decade ago.
Tesla may also announce the location of its next Gigafactory by the end of this year, Musk says. And eventually, Tesla hopes to have 10 to 12 Gigafactory locations, each with 1.5 to 2 million units of annual production capacity. The Tesla Fremont Gigafactory has the highest production of any auto factory in North America, Musk says.
Cybertruck & 4680 battery cell
According to Musk, Tesla is aiming for scaled Cybertruck production by the end of 2023. And he expects to reach high-volume production of the 4680 battery cell by the end of this year.
The future of Tesla
In a bold statement, Elon Musk predicts that Tesla will one day become the most valuable company in the world with the launch of the Optimus robot en masse and self-driving robot axis.
In addition to the aforementioned notes, the Tesla Cyber Roundup saw Musk in his element, covering topics from 3D infrastructure for cities, aliens, recession predictions and, of course, one day going to Mars.
Originally published by EVANNEX. By Peter McGuthrie
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Cook tells Musk that Apple hasn’t considered scrapping Twitter
This page was translated using AI and machine learning before being reviewed by a human editor in your native language.
(Pocket-lint) – Elon Musk’s tumultuous time at the helm of Twitter so far took on a minor new twist when the new CEO revealed he had visited Apple’s headquarters in California to meet Tim Cook.
He said they had visited Apple headquarters and Tim Cook clarified that Apple had in fact never considered removing Twitter from the App Store.
This is actually a rebuttal of Musk’s version posted earlier in the week, in which he claimed that Apple viewed the potential removal of the App Store as a threat.
Good conversation. Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding regarding Twitter’s potential removal from the App Store. Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing this
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 30, 2022
It’s been widely reported that Musk isn’t keen on the idea that Apple has long taken 30% of transactions made by apps from the App Store.
It is not yet known whether this problem has been fully resolved or not, but it would seem that the dialogue between the figureheads of these large companies is now a little more intense.
Part of Musk’s general grievance currently revolves around the flood of advertisers who have quit or suspended their use of Twitter since his takeover, after controversial and extreme figures returned to the platform.
It remains to be seen whether this meeting will help change the situation.
Written by Max Freeman-Mills.


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The City of Mount Gambier has recently been declared ‘RV friendly’ following an application made to The Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA).
In order to qualify for the program, towns and cities must successfully meet the needs of self-contained RV travellers and satisfy key criteria including access to potable water and a free dump point.
City of Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin OAM said Council had been encouraged by various organisations and individuals over a number of years to pursue ‘RV friendly status’ under the CMCA RV Friendly Town Program.
“This feedback helped to support the development of a recreational vehicle (RV) parking area and dump point at Frew Park which was completed in May 2019.”
Other criteria Council was required to meet as part of the application to CMCA included demonstrated access to a general shopping area and provision of appropriate low cost overnight parking.
“With these amenities in place, RV tourists can access any RV Friendly Town knowing they will be welcomed and well looked after,” CMCA Chairman Kim Atkinson said.
In return for providing these facilities, CMCA supports all towns and cities with RV friendly status through promotion to CMCA members and the broader self-contained RV community.
Joining the RV Friendly Town network will deliver direct benefits to the local business community as Mount Gambier will be promoted to RV travellers across Australia through the CMCA club magazine, website and social media channels- City of Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin OAM
“With the self-contained RV tourism market estimated to be worth more than $2.5 billion annually and the number of registered RVs in Australia expected to grow to more than 700,000 this year, our city is now well-positioned to access this lucrative tourism market and we look forward to seeing an increased number of visitors.”
CMCA says being classed an RV Friendly Town will assist to promote the region’s attractions and capture a part of this large growth market.
“Through social media and word of mouth, RV tourists will quickly let their fellow travellers know what a great place Mount Gambier is to visit and experience what it is that makes the city so unique,” Ms Atkinson said.
RV friendly town signs have recently been installed at the key entrances to the city, with further signage to be installed in coming weeks to provide clear directions to the RV parking area and dump point at Frew Park.
Media contact: City of Mount Gambier Communications Officer Ashlea Watson on 8721 2577 or email@example.com


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PLUS: Picanto GT coming, A200 review, X7 reader comments, and Swift Turbo owner review
Joining Mandy Turner this week are Mike Costello and Scott Collie.
In car news, the Kia Picanto GT has been given a 2019 arrival date, pricing and specs have been released for the Ford Mustang Ecoboost, Sydney has been labelled Australia's most congested city, and the Renault Alaskan could be set for a 2020 Australian launch.
We talk to JD Power Australia country director, Bruce Chellingworth, about survey results showing how satisfied luxury car customers are.
Reader comments are back – we read out the best from the 2019 BMW X7 reveal story.


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tsoHost shuts down the Gridhost service platform • The Register
Exclusive UK hosting company tsoHost has shut down its gridhost platform amid harsh customer criticism of the 45-day notice period and general handling.
The complaints are that many were not given enough time to complete a successful migration to another host, reports of technical problems during the notice period, and frustration that tsoHost’s technical support system was completely overwhelmed by users desperate for help was.
tsoHost, now part of the GoDaddy group, posted a notice in its online knowledge base that it would be closing down the Gridhost platform on November 10, 2022. It warned that customers’ cloud control panels would become inaccessible after that date and advised them to “complete all your actions at least 10 days before the final date”.
Customer pages and e-mails were also no longer accessible after November 10th.
The company claims customers received emails about these changes over a number of days, starting on September 26, then on October 11, October 27, November 3 and November 9.
It informed us that the email contained advice to help users manage this transition and that the guidance was also made available on the tsoHost status and control panel pages as of September 26th.
tsoHost states in its online FAQ that it is retiring Gridhost to focus resources on providing the best products and services to customers. To do so, it says it had to “restrict products which, though once groundbreaking, will become obsolete by the time alternatives become available”.
“We understand the decision to retire the Gridhost platform will be disappointing and tsoHost is working closely with customers to support migrations,” a GoDaddy spokesperson told us.
However, The registry was contacted by several readers who said they did not receive any such emails from the company and only spotted others’ grid host shutdown plans on social media.
One user said: “It seems very obvious that customers have not received any emails advising them of this shutdown. I know I didn’t receive any. There was no documentation, no support capacity for the increased demand.”
There were similar complaints on social media with one angry customer, Ben Cooper, Post on Twitter to ask tsoHost, “Did you really just shut down an entire hosting platform without notification? Several of my pages disappeared so I googled it.”
“Yes, I know you claim to have sent emails – none arrived.
Another user on Reddit posted that he had been active on the Gridhost platform with a reseller account since 2012 and had 298 websites running. They complained that 45 days was not a reasonable amount of time to complete a migration.
Other customers spoke of a chaotic customer care situation with hours of waiting to even speak to a live chat agent. At least one user complained on Twitter that after hours of waiting they were simply dropped from the queue. Another said they submitted a support ticket and a week later they still hadn’t been in touch.
The situation was possibly made worse by the fact that tsoHost stopped offering phone support in July, which we discovered when attempting to contact them by phone and were greeted by a terse recorded message to that effect.
tsoHost’s online FAQ advises customers that if they want to keep their website content and emails with the company, they must select an appropriate plan and order through the website, and then follow a series of steps to get it from Migrate grid host to the new platform.
Alternatively, customers are advised to contact the tsoHost support team for advice on how to migrate their website and emails to another hosting company.
According to the company, customers who requested a migration before November 10 have successfully completed it. “tsohost can confirm that the customers who requested migration prior to November 10 migrated successfully,” the GoDaddy spokesperson told us.
“We advise customers who have not yet backed up or migrated their information to create a support ticket and our teams will provide details on how to download content from the platform.”
The spokesperson also warned, “We are currently experiencing longer than usual wait times while our support teams work on individual cases.”
Maybe tsoHost decided there were too many problems with Gridhost. Earlier this year, it was reported that websites whose names start with the letter B were having trouble loading.
Last year, an incident sparked user complaints that the host’s client area was down and that its websites were down. The year before there were problems with emails, and in 2019 customers suffered a week of disruptions after somehow shady code was injected into tsoHost’s servers. ®
https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/16/tsohost_shuts_down_gridhost/ tsoHost shuts down the Gridhost service platform • The Register


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APSO seeking information on a suspect
Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Lt. Col. Bobby Webre is asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect who attempted to break into a Prairieville home on November 30 while the homeowner was present.
The suspect was captured on surveillance video standing just outside of the home. The investigation revealed that the suspect cut a window screen and attempted to gain entry into the home by breaking the window.
Investigators also believe that on Monday, December 1, the same suspect was involved in a vehicle burglary at a convenient store on Perkins Road in Prairieville. During this burglary a wallet containing an ATM card was stolen out of the unlocked vehicle. The convenient stores interior video surveillance captured the suspect entering the store and attempting to withdraw funds from an ATM machine but was unsuccessful in doing so.
The suspect is described as a 20-30 year old male with a medium build, facial hair and long dark colored hair worn in a ponytail. He may be driving a 2000-2004 light colored Ford Mustang.
Anyone with information on these two cases is urged to contact the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office at 225-621-INFO (4636) or by texting 847411 to our anonymous tip line from any cellular device or Crime Stoppers at 225-344-STOP(7867). To be eligible for a cash reward, you must contact Crime Stoppers immediately.


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Mitsui Mining & Smelting Says Profit to Decline 17% After Quake
Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Japan’s largest zinc producer, said profit may drop 17 percent this fiscal year after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami damaged facilities, disrupted supplies and cut power.
Net income may fall to 17.5 billion yen ($217 million) in the year started April 1 and sales may increase 4.6 percent to 467 billion yen, the Tokyo-based company said in a statement. Profit in the year ended March 31 rose 52 percent to 21.2 billion with sales gaining 13.8 percent to 446 billion, it said.
The company attributed the last fiscal year’s profit increase to a rise in demand for auto parts and electronics as well as price gains in zinc and lead. Zinc for immediate delivery rose to an average of $2,187 a metric ton in the period from the previous year’s average of $1,934, while lead gained to $2,210 a ton from $1,985, according to the company’s data.
Mitsui Mining posted a total of 3.2 billion yen in special losses last year because of the natural disaster, it said. The company said April 11 it planned to restart its Hachinohe smelter in Aomori prefecture, northern Japan, in early June. The plant has a capacity of 112,000 tons of zinc a year, the company has said.
The company has been running its other two smelters -- Kamioka in Gifu prefecture and Hikoshima in Yamaguchi prefecture, west of Tokyo -- at full capacity. Kamioka has annual capacity of 67,000 tons a year and Hikoshima produces 74,000 tons of special high-grade zinc.
Mitsui Mining, also maker of an estimated 90 percent of the world’s copper foil used in smartphones, plans to move some production of copper foil overseas because of the uncertainty over power supplies, said Keiji Nishida, general manager of the company’s finance team. It produces 4,250 tons of copper foil a month, according to spokesman Takayasu Ogisu.


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Tiny N. Fla. town’s only store closes
BRYCEVILLE, Fla. – Almost 65 years after opening its doors, the only store in the north Florida town of Bryceville has closed.
The Fouraker General Store — operated by 68-year-old Tommy Fouraker and daughters Julie and Lisa Fouraker — shut down on Dec. 16.
Fouraker offered several reasons for shutting down, such as a sagging economy and the inability to buy in bulk. But he says the main reason was loss of business due to the widening of the two-lane highway out front.
“There comes a point where you lost all you want to lose,” Tommy Fouraker told the Florida Times Union (http://bit.ly/1eIyn8H ). “Everything has a beginning and an end, I guess. It’s not that we made all that much money at it. It’s just that we loved to do it.”
Lisa Fouraker says closing the store was like losing a family member.
Her sister Julie said they’ll miss the camaraderie among those who often gathered at the store.
“A lot of people came in as strangers and when they came back, they were friends,” she said. “It was part of our lives.”
Until 10 years ago, the store, near Jacksonville in Nassau County, served as the post office. So, there were many regulars who stopped in every day to shop or just to chat.
“There was a lot of love in this place,” said Bill Surrency, who lives in Bryceville and is Tommy Fouraker’s nephew.
Bill Kruse, who lives around the corner, said he’ll miss the convenience of having a store nearby. The next closest store is down the road in Baldwin.
“If you needed gas or milk or bread, it was there,” Kruse said. “It’s a good family that ran it. I know this broke their hearts.”
The end came with a simple “Closed” sign on the door: “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the many smiles, laughter and heartwarming memories you have brought to our lives.”


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What Will Replace Smartphones? Experts Reveal the Unsettling Reality
Author, Marc Saltzman talks about where the future of technology is going and how it is going to shape our future. Technology based wearables are beginning to have a major impact on society, seen through the Apple Watch. Being at the forefront of this movement, Lucyd Lyte has the ability to shape the way consumers use technology and interact with the world.


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September 23, 2015, Andrea Fiano, Global Finance Magazine, Editor
Global Finance magazine has announced The Innovators 2015 – Foreign Exchange. This is the publication’s first annual listing of foreign exchange banks and services firms that have devised breakthrough products and enhanced services that are transforming how companies implement complex FX strategies and limit currency risk.
The Innovators 2015 – Foreign Exchange list will be published in Global Finance’s November 2015 issue, as part of the annual Foreign Exchange Supplement. The list covers a wide array of products and services: from hardware to software; FX desks to mobile apps; virtual money to structured derivatives. The report will also feature an in-depth look at how treasurers are using the tools to lower the cost of transactions and boost productivity.
“With exchange-rate volatility once again on the rise, corporate treasurers need products that provide instant information and more efficient ways to manage currency transactions and contracts,” said Joseph D. Giarraputo, publisher and editorial director of Global Finance. “In The Innovators, we identify banks and technology vendors that are filling that need.”
All selections were made by the editorial board of Global Finance. The board considered nominations and submissions, key research and the input of experts in evaluating those banks and service providers that stand out for their transformative products and solutions. The OECD’s Oslo Manual of Innovation was referenced when considering firms for inclusion. The Oslo Manual spells out four types of innovation: product innovation; process innovation; marketing innovation and organizational innovation.


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December 29, 2016
In view of the advisory from FSSAI, the district administration today cautioned the public about the health hazards of consuming food wrapped in newspapers.
It is a general practice for small hoteliers, petty tea shops and vendors to wrap idlis, bajji and bondas, and other eatables in newspapers and supply to the public and nearby shops.
A few days back, FSSAI had warned against consumption of such food, as the ink and chemicals in the newspapers contained bacteria causing stomach-related diseases, indigestion and also cancer, District Collector T N Hariharan said.
He also warned vendors not to use newspapers for wrapping or use polythene bags for supplying hot tea and coffee, which also create health hazards.
Since the last date for registering and getting licence for vendors and hoteliers was not extended further from August 2016, those who have not registered so far were asked to immediately take steps to get registered, Hariharan said.


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At Lenovo Tech World back in June, the company announced a slew of new products. Of course, the ones that everyone in the West were most excited about were the new Moto Z and Moto Z Force – which are now available exclusively at Verizon. With these two smartphones, Lenovo also announced Moto Mods, which are modules that you can attach to the back of either phone and extend the functionality of the phone. Currently, there are just three Moto Mods available. One is an extended battery pack, another is a speaker from JBL and then the Pico Projector. But according to a teaser that Lenovo posted today, it looks like there are some more Moto Mods in store for us at IFA 2016 in September.
The teaser also talks about a "new chapter in tablets". Now it's tough to say what that actually means, but Moto (formerly Motorola) hasn't released a tablet in years. Lenovo, however, has continued releasing tablets. Both running Android and Windows. So we may be looking at some new tablets running on Windows 10 instead of Android. They are also teasing products that "blur the line", which shows a 2-in-1 tablet. So there's a big possibility that Lenovo will have some 2-in-1's shown at IFA in about a month's time. Remember that Lenovo does offer a slew of products already, and not all of them run Android. So just because they are teasing tablets and 2-in-1's doesn't mean that they are definitely running Android.
Lenovo is also teasing a new Moto 360 smartwatch coming at the event. Now this wouldn't be a huge surprise, given the fact that they launched the original Moto 360 at an event in Chicago in 2014 in September (during IFA 2014), then Lenovo launched the second-generation Moto 360 at IFA last year. So it would make sense that the third-generation comes at IFA 2016. Once more, it seems that IFA is going to be a big place for Android Wear watches to be unveiled. After all, we haven't seen many announced in 2016, and with Android Wear 2.0 coming this fall, it would make perfect sense for Google and their partners to wait and unveil their new watches in the fall.